This Instant Pot wild rice pilaf is the perfect low-effort side dish! With mushrooms and pine nuts, it is flavorful and so easy to prepare.
When it comes to easy side dishes, you may not think of your Instant Pot first, but it's actually pretty perfect because of the 'hands off factor'. From Instant Pot mashed cauliflower to Instant Pot sweet potatoes to this wild rice pilaf, there are so many easy options for you!
Whether you cook this wild rice pilaf for a weeknight dinner or for your holiday table, it's easy, effortless, and so tasty! It can even be prepped a day or two ahead and re-heated. How's that for convenient?
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Reasons you'll heart this recipe
- the contrast between the chewy wild rice blend, crunchy pine nuts and soft mushrooms is so great
- you can prepare it ahead and reheat
- it compliments a number of recipes, and is great for either weeknights or a holiday!
Recipe video
Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped this Instant Pot Wild Rice Pilaf. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Ingredient notes
- rice- I've used a brown basmati wild rice blend for this recipe, as I like the mixture of textures you get from the different types of rice. I recommend Lundberg brand, which contains a mixture of Long Grain Brown Rice, Sweet Brown Rice, Wild Rice, Wehani Red Rice and Black Rice.
- mushrooms- button or cremini mushrooms both work great in this recipe, make sure to wash well and slice.
- thyme- using fresh thyme brings a brightness to this recipe that you miss when using dried; with that being said if you can't get your hands on fresh thyme, try adding ½ teaspoon of dried thyme.
- wine- we deglaze the pan with white wine which builds flavor into the recipe; use a dry wine like a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, or simply use a cooking wine. The alcohol from the wine will evaporate off, but if you still want to skip the wine, you could swap for chicken stock.
- pine nuts- the nutty flavor of the pine nuts compliments the earthy and savory flavors of the rice so well. Taking the time to toast your pine nuts will bring out the nutty flavor even more!
Step by step directions
1. Sauté onions- Select the 'sauté' function, then add the olive oil to the stainless steel inner pot of your Instant Pot. Add the onion, and cook for 4-5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Make a space in the pan, then add the garlic and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
Add the white wine, and scrape up the bottom of the pan, cooking for another minute.
TIP- it's a good idea to deglaze the bottom of your Instant Pot after sautéing to avoid triggering the burn warning.
2. Remaining ingredients- add the mushrooms, salt, wild rice blend, thyme and stock to the pot. Stir everything up, ensuring that no rice is sticking to the side of the Instant Pot.
TIP- this recipe works in both a 6 quart Instant Pot and an 8 quart Instant Pot!
3. Cook- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, set the valve to the 'sealing' position, and pressure cook on high pressure for 28 minutes. When the Instant Pot completes its cooking cycle, allow it to naturally depressurize for 15 minutes before releasing any remaining pressure and removing the lid.
Natural Pressure Release- when the Instant Pot completes the cooking cycle, allow it to sit until the pin drops, or for a set amount of time. Find out more about when to use a natural pressure release in Instant Pot 101!
4. Finishing touches- add parsley and pine nuts, stir, and enjoy.
FAQ
This recipe was specifically tested using a brown basmati/wild rice blend from Lundberg. If you change up the type of rice, you will need to change the cook time.
See:
Instant Pot Basmati Rice
Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
Instant Pot Brown Rice
Wild rice is a nutrient-dense whole grain that is rich in antioxidants and has many other health benefits. Read more about it here.
Due to the long cook time, veggies turn to mush in this recipe (except mushrooms for some reason!) so if you want to add carrots or celery, you'll want to cook them separately and add them in after cooking.
Storage & reheating
This recipe can be made ahead and reheats great!
Storage
- Cool completely.
- Add to an air tight container.
- Store in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheating
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Add the rice to a covered casserole dish.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until warmed through.
- Add the pine nuts and parsley fresh if possible.
Food safety & rice
Cooked rice has the worst rap when it comes to food safety. However, rice is perfectly safe to eat when cooked and stored properly:
- cool and refrigerate quickly
- store for 4-6 days (personally I have a 4 day rule for leftovers)
- reheat until steaming hot, and only reheat once
More Instant Pot sides
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Instant Pot Wild Rice Pilaf with Mushrooms and Pine Nuts
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 onions chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup white wine see note 1
- 12 oz mushrooms sliced; see note 2
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ tsp dried thyme leaves
- 2 cups wild rice brown basmati blend see note 3
- 2 cups stock chicken or vegetable
After cooking
- ½ cup parsley chopped
- ½ cup pine nuts toasted
Instructions
- Sauté onions- Select the 'sauté' function, then add the olive oil to the stainless steel inner pot of your Instant Pot. Add the onion, and cook for 4-5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Make a space in the pan, then add the garlic and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.Add the white wine, and scrape up the bottom of the pan, cooking for another minute.
- Remaining ingredients- add the mushrooms, salt, wild rice blend, salt, thyme and stock to the pot. Stir everything up, ensuring that no rice is sticking to the side of the Instant Pot.
- Cook- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, set the valve to the 'sealing' position, and pressure cook on high pressure for 28 minutes. When the Instant Pot completes its cooking cycle, allow it to naturally depressurize for 15 minutes before releasing any remaining pressure and removing the lid.
- Finishing touches- add parsley and pine nuts, stir, and enjoy.
Tips:
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Add the rice to a covered casserole dish.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until warmed through.
- Add the pine nuts and parsley fresh if possible.
Video
Nutrition Information
© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
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Cook time was adapted from Green Healthy Cooking!
